The event was attended by guest of honour, H.E. Mario Vattani, Italian Ambassador to Singapore and Brunei (pictured second from right). Other visitors from Italy included Alberto Cirio, President of Piedmont region (second from left) and Gianfranco Garau (far right), Mayor of Grizane Cavour – the municipality where the historic castle hosting the World Auction is situated.

The hammer finally went down and a bidder in Hong Kong paid €184,000 (SG$262,000) for the truffle – whose hefty weight is said to be rather rare. In Singapore, S$63,000 was raised via table sales and a silent auction which included fine and rare wines from Langhe in large format (magnums and jeroboams of Barolos and Barberescos) plus three lots of truffles weighing 116g.

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Proceeds raised will benefit =DREAMS, a co-ed weekday residential model that provides after-school education and holistic support. An initiative by the South Central Community Family Service Centre, =DREAMS aspires to create a child-centric system of care that empowers promising and deserving children from low-income households to break out of poverty, allowing them to dream of a future where they are not limited by family circumstances.

Chef-owner Daniele Sperindio curated and prepared an innovative five-course degustation menu celebrating the ‘white diamond of Alba’. Guests were treated to dishes like mud crab milk with black cabbage, smoked eel and pickled persimmon topped with Alba white truffle, as well as 32 Egg Yolk Taglierini with Cremosa di Pecora partnered with Piedmont hazelnuts and Alba white truffle. The meal was paired with fine wines from Piedmont such as Bricco dell’Uccellone Barbera d’Asti 2017, Braida, Sito Moresco 2018, Gaja and Barolo 1967, Pio Cesare.

Related: Massive 1.2kg French black truffle auctioned off as an NFT